Aryna Sabalenka has not lost a single set so far during the 2026 Australian Open, and throughout the entire season. Though, it was close to being broken in the third round, during a clash with Anastasia Potapova.The Austrian representative surprisingly put up a strong fight against the WTA ranking leader. Both sets saw a tie-break. during the second set, the Saratov-born tennis player even came back from 0:4 down, and during the deciding tie-break, she had a total of four set points. Ultimately,the tournament “1” won the battle 7:6(4),7:6(7) and advanced to the best “16” of the Grand Slam competition in Melbourne.
Today was the time for Sabalenka’s frist direct competition with an extremely talented player who won the WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal last year. We are talking about 19-year-old victoria Mboko. The Canadian representative defeated Clara Tauson in the previous phase after an exciting, three-set match.This gave her the prospect to face the current world number one for the first time in her career. On paper, we were in for an exciting match. In reality, however, we watched a one-sided game.
The next few minutes, however, again belonged to the favorite for the final title. Before the next change of sides, Sabalenka took a 4-1 lead with a double break.
Victoria Mboko is making waves in the world of competitive robotics. The young engineer, pictured above at a recent sporting event, is leading a team developing innovative solutions for search and rescue operations using autonomous drones.
Mboko’s team, based at the University of Warsaw, recently secured a meaningful grant from the European Space Agency to refine their drone technology.Their focus is on creating drones capable of navigating complex, disaster-stricken environments - like collapsed buildings or dense forests – to locate survivors.
“The biggest challenge is reliable navigation without GPS,” Mboko explained in a recent interview with AFP. “We’re developing algorithms that allow the drones to build a map of their surroundings using onboard sensors and visual data, even in complete darkness.”
The technology isn’t limited to post-disaster scenarios. Researchers envision applications in infrastructure inspection, environmental monitoring, and even precision agriculture. Early tests have shown promising results in identifying structural weaknesses in bridges and detecting early signs of forest fires.
Mboko’s work is gaining international recognition. She was recently invited to speak at the International Robotics Conference in Tokyo, where she presented her team’s latest advancements. The project is expected to enter its field-testing phase later this year.
